Chapter 1: It Could have Just Broken My Nose, How Did It Come to This?

    After another day, that had already begun to blend in with the rest. Note had spent the day scrolling through job listings and denial letters. As he lay sprawled out on his bed, he pulled out his phone, clicking on an open tab. Reading one or two chapters before bed was a nightly routine; even though one chapter often became ten. The latest web novel Note had discovered was called many blossoms. A low stakes reverse harem story taking place in the classic fantastical world of heroes and magic. Note considered this kind of story a guilty pleasure; as his mind dove back into the current misadventure of the main character Lise and her gang of love interests and friends.

Note wasn’t anywhere near finishing the story but could already tell which of the male leads was likely going to win in the end. A typical story, no unexpected twist was likely - Note had a knack for predicting outcomes- as his eyes began to grow heavy; he was just doing his best to make it to the end of the chapter. Eyes falling shut, his phone slipped from his grip and dove for his face. He braced for the weight of the phone to come crashing down onto his glasses. The pain didn’t come, but opening his eyes didn’t seem an easy task either.

When did I fall asleep? My phone couldn’t have knocked me unconscious, right? Roughly rubbing at my eyes, I could feel the traces of sleep still weighing my eyelids down. Where did my glasses fall; I hope I hadn’t rolled onto them, yet again. Eyes still unwilling to open, I feel around for my frames blindly. The sudden feeling of something solid, aha! There you are! Wait. Why does it feel like my glasses just shuffled away from me? I finally force my eyes open; oh, its not my glasses it’s a bird’s claw I’ve grabbed.             ...               …          ….???

Why? Is there a bird on my bed? I sit up quickly blinking rapidly, the bird doesn’t seem too phased. It only seems offended at me for grabbing at it.

“Apologies for that um, hope I didn’t scare you” The bird looks stern but why am I apologising to it, exactly?

 My brain still isn’t fully loaded yet, this can’t be a hawk, right? It sure looks like one, brown feathers sharp talons and beak. Its still just looking at me, could it be an escaped pet that got in through a window. It might be my sleep addled brain but I wonder if it would let me pet it? Its feathers seem so soft.

“Uh um, here pretty bird. Your too smart to be scared by me, right? Want a little scritch, you’re such a beautiful baby. Yes, you are.”

It looks at my hand as I motion for it, before letting out a shrill shriek. My heart, it could have stopped from that so early in the morning! Cruel pretty bird. The hawk seems content at how high I jump at its shout and hops onto the bedframe, looking pleased. Wait, last I checked my bed doesn’t have a frame. Also, since when, was I able to see to the end of my bed so clearly without my glasses on? As I look around, the room is an unfamiliar one. I don’t have much more time to think before a door burst’s open and an older woman comes rushing in.

            She looks relieved as she sees me, “Oh dear, thank the heavens! Your finally awake. Your poor sister will be so relieved to see you with some colour in your cheeks again lad!”

The older woman seems to hover at the bed side too excited to decide what exactly to do. After swaying in place for a moment, she seems to make up her mind and rush out of the room again.

Me and the bird watch her go, “Isn’t any chance you know where I am is there, sweet bridie?”

The hawk twists its head back to me, seeming almost surprised as its head tilts. It suddenly hops back on the bed, doing its weird bird walk right up to me. The woman didn’t seem phased by its presence so I try not to flinch as it steps onto my legs. Its sharp talons lightly dig into the sheets, as it stares daggers at me.

I can’t help the nervous sweat I feel forming, “Please don’t try and eat me. Is that stupid to say?”

The woman comes bustling back into the room, a tray in her hands. She doesn’t seem concerned by my being in a one-sided stand off with a bird of prey. As she places the tray on a table, picking up a rolled piece of parchment. Finally looking my way properly, she takes in the scene with a chuckle.

            “I’ve written something for the young miss, so she can stop worrying. This fella has been waiting to have something positive to deliver for a week,” she says while gesturing to the bird.

At mention of a delivery the hawk finally turns away from me, jumping to the end of the bed its leg out. The woman hesitantly secures the note to the string already around the bird’s leg. She barley makes room before the bird leaps into the air and out the open window.

She lets out a relieved sigh, “Having a Willow division messenger bird waiting around my house has been an experience I tell you lad. Now have a sip of broth so you can start building up your strength. Poor boy, been twisted up in this bed with fever so long I was afraid you wouldn’t ever wake.” The warm bowl she gently places in my hands seems to trigger my stomach, as it growls loudly. She smiles and chuckles as I try to take small sips and not swallow the broth down all at once. It really does feel like I haven’t eaten in days, but I had a snack right before bed how could I be this hungry?

“Slow down lad, I have more in the pot. Your sister won’t be able to send for you for a day or two, there’s no rush now,” the woman might be saying that, but she seems more than happy to watch me eat and drink.

Do I ask her outright what’s going on? Her clothes look more like I caught her on the way to a Renfair. The room seems basic enough. It gives a rustic feel, as it’s decorated with sewn wall tapestries and dried plants. The she sits at a small floor level table, watching me as she absentmindedly fusses with things on the messy table. What looks like clay vials have been knocked over and very traditional looking medicine pills seems to have spilled onto the surface in her rush to bring the tray in. If this is a dream it’s the most vivid one, I think I’ve ever had. But if it was a dream, I would have gotten to pet the hawk. I try to will myself awake but it doesn’t feel like I’m dreaming. I finish the meal and resist licking the bowl, the woman gets up trading the bowl for a small cup and a pill.

            “Now that your awake lad, you can take one of these. Your sister really managed to find some high-quality medicine for you. With such a great sister you better take good care of her. She was willing to rush off all on her own to find the nearest doctor -a few towns over mind you- all for your sake. She could barley get out the door with you clinging to her, delirious as you were.”

The pill seems too large to swallow but it goes down with surprising ease. The woman is beginning to tidy up the table now, preparing to take the dishes. I hope if I take my time drinking, she’ll just continue talking. I can’t tell yet if she’s someone I’m supposed to know. Has my nightmare of showing up to a play I forgot I was in come to pass? The woman continues, and I do my best to tune back in.

            “As an older brother, letting your little sister go off on her own for your sake must have been hard. But the girl seems more then capable. She even got the high and mighty Willow division to send over the medicine with one of their fastest birds- a keen one at that- That big fella came to ‘n fro with all kind of elixirs and pills. Most such high-quality stuff, the like I’ve never seen. I’m just glad I had a spare bed to put you in when the two of you came crashing into my inn. If it been the busy season might have had no where to put you, poor dears-.”

I was doing my best to keep up with her train of thought, but she had collected my cup shuffling the dirty dishes out of the room. She seemed to continue talking -more to herself then to me- perhaps she had gotten used to me not being able to respond. Some of the things she said seemed to pull at the back of my mind. I couldn’t help feeling a sense of familiarity with some of what she was saying. The Willow division, I’m sure that’s something. I just can’t put my finger on it, but my memory has never been the best. The woman returns and keeps me company for awhile more before leaving to tend to other Innkeeper duties.

I can’t quite get up the courage to ask where this inn of hers is, or who im supposed to be for that matter. Once alone I get up and search around the room a bit, finding some cosmetics tucked away in a drawer. I open each compact in search of one thing. When the glint of a mirror finally appears, I eagerly move it around trying to take in as much of myself as I can at once. The shock that wells up into rising panic settles over me, my legs give out as I clumsily fall to sit on the floor. The face I’m looking at is angular and handsome in a way that’s apparent even through the small mirror. The skin is ridiculously smooth, my usual morning breakouts not present. Overwhelmed I roughly click the compact shut, it seems….        

 I have woken up as someone other then myself.